March 19 2010 Friday Solemnity of Saint Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Saint of the Day – St. Joseph

About the sources used. The readings on this site are from the Haydock Bible according to the daily Lectionary readings for the American Roman Catholic Church. The Haydock Bible contains traditional Catholic commentary and is free from copyright. Due to verse numbering differences and pastoral deletions in the actual Lectionary, these readings may at times vary from the actual readings.

Official Readings of the Liturgy at – http://www.usccb.org/bible/

2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16
Douay-Rheims Challoner

But it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying:

Go, and say to my servant David:

And when thy days shall be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of the bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house to my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom fore ever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And thy house shall be faithful, and thy kingdom for ever before thy face, and thy throne shall be firm for ever.

Responsorial Psalm 88:2-5, 27 and 29 (Ps 89 NAB)
DR Challoner Text Only

The mercies of the Lord I will sing for ever.
I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth
to generation and generation.
For thou hast said:
Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens:
thy truth shall be prepared in them.
I have made a covenant with my elect:
I have sworn to David my servant:
Thy seed will I settle for ever.
And I will build up thy throne unto generation and generation.
He shall cry out to me:
Thou art my father: my God,
and the support of my salvation.
I will keep my mercy for him for ever:
and my covenant faithful to him.

Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22
Haydock New Testament

For not through the law was the promise to Abraham or to his seed, that he should be the heir of the world, but through the justice of faith. Therefore it is faith, that according to grace the promise might be firm to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations) before God, whom he believed, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things that are not, as those that are. Who, against hope, believed in hope, that he might be made the father of many nations, according to that which was said to him: So shall thy seed be. And therefore it was reputed to him unto justice.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a
Haydock New Testament

And Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Now the birth of Christ was thus: When Mary, his mother, was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph, her husband, being a just man, and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold the angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying:

Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son: and thou shall call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

And Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife.

The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Luke 2:41-51a
Haydock New Testament

And his parents went every year to Jerusalem, at the solemn day of the Pasch. And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem, according to the custom of the feast. And after they had fulfilled the days, when they returned, the child, Jesus, remained in Jerusalem, and his parents knew it not.

And thinking that he was in the company, they came a day’s journey, and sought him among their kinsfolks and acquaintance. And not finding him, they returned into Jerusalem, seeking him. And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them, and asking them questions. And all, that heard him, were astonished at his wisdom, and his answers. And seeing him, they wondered. And his mother said to him:

Son, why hast thou done so to us? Behold, thy father and I have sought thee, sorrowing.

And he said to them:

How is it that you sought me? Did you now know, that I must be about the things that are my Father’s?

And they understood not the word that he spoke unto them. And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth: and was subject to them.

Haydock Commentary 2 Samuel 7:4-5a, 12-14a, 16 (2 Kings DR/Vulgate/LXX)
Notes Copied From Haydock Commentary Site

  • Ver. 12. I will establish his kingdom. This prophecy partly relates to Solomon; but much more to Christ, who is called the Son of David in Scripture, and the builder of the true temple, which is the Church, his everlasting kingdom, which shall never fail, nor be cast off for any iniquity of her children.  Ch. — God passes over all the children whom David had already, 3 K. ii. 15.  The temporal kingdom was enjoyed by David’s posterity for a long time, sufficient to verify the expression for ever, as it is often used in Scripture.  C. — But the spiritual kingdom of the Messias will last till the end of time, and be perfected in eternity.  H. — In these predictions we must always distinguish the type from the reality.  C.
  • Ver. 14. Men, who are not to be entirely destroyed, like the Chanaanites.  C. — This is not unlike the human temptation of which S. Paul speaks.  1 Cor. x. 13.  See Ps. lxxii. 5. and lxxxviii. 33.  H. — The rod of men denotes war, and stripes signify those punishments which God inflicts.  S. Jer. Trad. — Some parts of this declaration regard Christ; others Solomon.  Heb. i. 5.  D.
  • Ver. 16. Faithful; or continue a long time.  M.  3 K. xi. 38. — Where is not the house of David? or how is this accomplished, except in the Church? — Thy face. Sept. “before me,” which is conformable to Ps. lxxxviii. 38.  David saw Solomon on the throne, and beheld the Messias in spirit.  C. — Souls departed still see what regards them, (Sa.) if they be happy.  H.

Haydock Commentary Romans 4:13, 16-18, 22

  • Ver. 13. Of the world, &c.  By the world, some understand the land of Chanaan, which is sometimes meant by the whole earth, particularly in the times of David and Solomon, when they ruled over the neighbouring nations.  But others think that the apostle alludes to the passage of Genesis, where the Almighty promises that in his (Abraham’s) seed, all the nations of the earth should be blessed; which promise extends much beyond the narrow limits of Chanaan.  In fine, it may be understood in a spiritual sense, of his dignity of father of all the faithful; which makes him, in a manner, master of the whole world, since his spiritual children, spread through the whole world, have the universe for their inheritance.  Calmet. — Postula a me, et dabo tibi Gentes hæreditatem tuam et possessionem tuam terminos terræ.  Ps.  ii. 8.  A. — It was by Christ that Abraham was to be heir of the world, in as much as the spiritual kingdom of Christ should be spread over all the world.  And this of one who was of the seed of David, being heir of the world, was not by the law, or by virtue of the law, which was not given to Moses till 400 years after.  Wi.
  • Ver. 16. There are two kinds of children of Abraham, to whom alone these promises are made; the one is according to the flesh, the other according to the spirit.  The former of these had no part in the promises made to him and his seed than the Gentiles, unless they imitated the fidelity and obedience of their father.  Calmet. — It is in this sense of spiritual father, that the priest at the altar, speaking in the name of the faithful, calls Abraham our patriarch.  Estius.
  • Ver. 18. Who, against hope, believed in hope, or with hope.  That is, Abraham, against all probability of human hopes, still hoped in God, says S. Chrys. that he should have a son by Sara: and in this, he was not weak in faith. Therefore it, that is, is great faith, was imputed to him unto justice: and also our faith shall be imputed to us unto justice, or make us truly just, by believing in Christ, &c.  Wi.

Haydock Commentary Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24a

  • Ver. 16. The husband of Mary. The evangelist gives us rather the pedigree of S. Joseph, than that of the blessed Virgin, to conform to the custom of the Hebrews, who in their genealogies took no notice of women: but as they near akin, the pedigree of the one sheweth that of the other.  Ch. — Joseph the husband of Mary.[3]  So he is again called, v. 19: but in v. 18, we read, when Mary his mother was espoused to Joseph. These different expressions of being husband, and being espoused, have occasioned different interpretations.  Some think that Joseph and the blessed Virgin were truly married at the time of Christ’s conception: others, that they were only then espoused, or engaged by a promise to marry afterwards.  S. Jerom says, when you hear the name of husband, do not from thence imagine them to be married, but remember the custom of the Scriptures, according to which, they who are espoused only, are called husband and wives.  Wi. — That Jesus, who is called Christ, was of the seed of David, is also evident, as S. Augustine affirms from various texts of the holy Scriptures, as in the epistle to the Romans, where S. Paul, (c. i.) speaking of the Son of God, says, who was made to Him of the seed of David, according to the flesh.  See also the promises made to David, 2 K. vii.  Ps. lxxxviii. and cxxxi. and spoken of Solomon, as a figure of Jesus Christ.  E.
  • Ver. 18. The account of the birth of Jesus Christ follows his genealogy.  From these words, “before they came together,” Helvidius and others have started objections, which have been answered long ago by S. Jerom, where he shews in many examples from Scripture, that the words before and until do not signify what happened afterwards; for that point is left indefinite, but only what was done before, or not done.  Thus when it is said, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies they footstool, Ps. cix, by no means signifies, that after the subjection of his enemies, the Son of God is no longer to sit at the right hand of his Father.  In common conversation, when we say that a man died before he reached his 30th year, we do not mean that he afterwards attained it.  Or, should we say that Helvidius died before he did penance, we cannot mean that he afterwards did penance: the same conclusion should be deduced from the words, “before they came together,” the end being accomplished by the power of the operation of the Holy Ghost, without their going together.  If we should advance, that such a man was cured before he went to a physician, the natural inference would be, that he did not go to a physician at all.  Thus also in the language of Scripture, the word first-begotten does not mean after whom others were born, but before whom no one was born, where there were further issue or not.  And the reason is, because the law required that a sacrifice should be offered for the first-born, and that he should be redeemed very soon after his birth; nor did it allow the parents to wait and see if any other son should be born.  E. — True and perfect marriage, and continual living in the same, without knowing each other.  S. Aug. l. ii. Consen. Evang. c. i.  B.
  • Ver. 19. And Joseph her husband, knowing her strict virtue, was surprised at this her pregnancy, but “being a just man,” and not willing to expose her, by denouncing her, or giving her a bill of divorce, he had a mind to dismiss her privately, committing the cause to God.  Let us learn from Joseph to be ever tender of our neighbour’s reputation, and never to entertain any injurious thoughts, or any suspicions to his prejudice.  A.
  • Ver. 20. Fear not to take, &c. i.e., fear not to marry her, if we suppose them not yet married, or if married already, the sense is, fear not to keep and remain with thy chaste wife; lay aside all thoughts of dismissing and leaving her.  Wi. — As the incarnation of the Son of God was effected by the whole blessed Trinity, it may be asked why this operation is peculiarly attributed to the Holy Ghost, not only here, but in Luke ii., and in the apostles’ creed?  The answer is, because as power is attributed to the Father, wisdom to the Son, so goodness is attributed to the Holy Ghost, and the gifts of grace which proceed from it.  Estius in diff. loca.
  • Ver. 21. Jesus . . . he shall save, &c.  The characteristic name of Saviour was peculiar to the Messias, by which he was distinguished, as well as by the adorable name of Jesus.  The expectations of both Jew and Gentile looked forward to a saviour.  S. Augustine, in the 18th book, 23d chapter, de Civitate Die, introduces a curious anecdote.  He mentions there, that he received from the eloquent and learned Proconsul Flactianus, a book containing in Greek the verses of one of the Sybils, which related to the coming of Christ.  The substance of them is much the same as occurs in the prophecies of Isaiah, from which Virgil has likewise copied into his Pollio, many of the sublime thoughts which we find in that beautiful eclogue.  It is remarkable that of the initials of these verses, S. Augustine had formed an acrostic to the following import, IhsouV CristoV Qeou uioV swthr; that is, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Saviour. A.

Haydock Commentary Luke 2:41-51a

  • Ver. 41. How can we account for what is related in this verse, that his parents went up every year to Jerusalem, during the childhood of Jesus, when, as we are taught in other parts, his parents did not dare to fix their abode in Jerusalem, for fear of Archelaus: but this, says S. Austin, will not be very difficult to answer; for, it might be easier for them to ascend up to Jerusalem on these particular occasions, without being noticed in so numerous a crowd, and privately return; though it might not be prudent for them to fix their habitation there, lest they might be too much noticed: and, as no one has yet informed us how long Archelaus continued to reign, what S. Luke relates might have taken place after the death of that prince.  S. Austin.
  • Ver. 44. It may be asked how the blessed Virgin and S. Joseph could possibly have come so far without missing him; but we must take notice, that when the people went up to the temple from remote parts of Judea, the men went in one company, and the women in a separate company, whilst the children went in either company indifferently: so that S. Joseph imagined that he was with Mary, his mother, whilst she imagined he was with S. Joseph.  Nic. de Lyra.
  • Ver. 49. I must be about the things that are my Father’s? By these words he shewed, that not S. Joseph, but only God, was his father.  Wi.
  • Ver. 50. They understood not, &c.  That is, knew not when, or by what means, Christ designed to make himself known to the world.  Wi.
  • Ver. 51. Was subject to them. Astonishing humility! which the Son of God was pleased to teach by his example, as also obedience to parents.  Wi. — The evangelist relates nothing of our Saviour from the age of twelve till the age of thirty, except that he was subject to S. Joseph and the blessed Virgin.  The divine Spirit shewing by this, that nothing is so great and amiable in Christians, as ready obedience to the directions of their superiors.  Barradius. — All children are hereby taught what subjection and obedience is due from them to their parents.

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